The following 2 users say "thanks"

Rose, I'm so glad you have such strong faith and great friends. Hope and faith are everything. My faith has certainly faltered a little at times but I have always been shown the reason eventually. I strongly believe there is a reason for everything. We have challenges but I love my life and I too try to find good in everyone and every day. My greatest hope is that this will pass on to my children. I admire you my friend even if you don't think you are amazing I think there are many here who will disagree with you LOL. Thank you fro always sharing your knowledge, faith, and strength.

It's good to hear that Jim is feeling better. Praying that you both will get some well needed rest. Thank you for he updates.
Mary Grace

Jeanie and Mary Grace ~ Thank you so much for your continuing prayers, love and support. It gives us strength to have you walking beside us.

Love & Light,

Rose

Mom to Jon, 48, (seizure disorder; Gtube; trache; colostomy; osteoporosis; hypothyroid; enlarged prostate; lymphedema, assorted mysteries) and Michael, 32, (intractable seizures; Gtube), who were born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease and courageous spirits. Our Angel Michael received his wings in 2003 and now resides in Heaven. Our Angel Jon lives at home with me and Jim, the world's most wonderful dad.

Jim had his infusion on Tuesday, and he had a headache several hours afterward. The headache has been coming and going since then. Since it is a side effect of Gemcitabine, I strongly feel that the chemo is the cause.

Dr. P suggested that Jim's headaches could be related to his unresolved sinus problem. I ordered a Nelli pot for nasal lavage for him in January. He's never used it. But, he is having significant nasal drainage and is sneezing a lot, so I think Dr. P has a good point. I think I'll get out the Nelli pot and convince him to try lavage. He used to have a fancy lavage system, so he knows that it can help. But, it's just another thing to have to do, I guess. It's better than taking Tylenol, that's for sure. I think I'll start there with my persuasion speech.

"Just to be sure," Dr. P ordered a brain MRI. Jim's appointment was supposed to be before Thanksgiving, but the MRI lab is booked. He's scheduled for 11/30. That is, unless Dr. P pulls some strings and gets an earlier appointment.

Jim revealed that the scariest things he has to go through are the scans and MRIs. What will it show? Has it spread? Is it better? What if ... ?

I know. I'm right there with him.

But we have to know, so that we can either breathe a sigh of relief or prepare for what might be ahead.

Jim does have memory and attention span problems, which we attribute to "chemo brain." Other than headaches, which only began when he started Gemcitabine, he has no overt symptoms of brain cancer.

What an insidious disease cancer is. As if it isn't bad enough to have it in one part of your body, you have to worry about it spreading to other parts. And perhaps, what works for lung cancer won't work for brain cancer.

Dr. P told Jim, "You'll be coming here for the rest of your life." For doctor exams, tests, infusions, labs. This is what is meant by the term "battle" with regard to cancer. A person can be cancer free for years, and then it returns, often in another location. A cancer patient keeps fighting battles trying to win the war.

Jim's cancer journey this year has been everything. It's been a learning experience. It has enhanced our love for and relationship with each other, with Jon, with our loved ones. It has propelled us to open up to each other about things we haven't addressed in our 25 years together, because we didn't have to think about them until now. We laugh more often, and we cry more easily. We are more patient and forgiving of each other.

This is our ammunition against the our war on cancer. We are prayerful and grateful. We trust and believe that Jim's physicians are providing him with the best care possible. We practice our vows to love, honor and cherish, in sickness and health, for better or worse, until death parts us.

It's not easy. But then, what is?

I hold onto this:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13

Thank you all so very much for your love, prayers and support.

We Love You~

Love & Light,

Rose

Mom to Jon, 48, (seizure disorder; Gtube; trache; colostomy; osteoporosis; hypothyroid; enlarged prostate; lymphedema, assorted mysteries) and Michael, 32, (intractable seizures; Gtube), who were born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease and courageous spirits. Our Angel Michael received his wings in 2003 and now resides in Heaven. Our Angel Jon lives at home with me and Jim, the world's most wonderful dad.

The following user says "thanks"

Rose _ Am very sorry to hear about Jim's latest. I agree with you, Big Pharma looks out for Big Pharma, period, the end. That said, You and yours, as you already have tour wings, are blessed to have each other. I have prayed for you and your family For a long time, This will continue.
I wish I could say more, but at the moment, words escape me.
Blessings
Skypilot Steve AKA alex44
God Bless ALL Of Us.
S

Jim's blood work was excellent, so he had another infusion today. His headache came on rather quickly this evening. He's taken Tylenol and is now attempting to sleep. After dinner, he said he felt very fatigued.

I'm concerned that his memory is getting worse. I pray that it's just chemo brain, and nothing more. We'll find out after 11/30, when he has his brain MRI.

Jon came out of his Baclofen fog after 20 hours of sleep. Looks like I'll be up all night. Hiccups are gone, thankfully. And his SATS are holding in the 90s. Can't ask for more than that ~ it's worth the sleep loss.

Once again, we thank you for the blessing of you in our lives. Our prayers are with all of you too.

Love & Light,

Rose

Mom to Jon, 48, (seizure disorder; Gtube; trache; colostomy; osteoporosis; hypothyroid; enlarged prostate; lymphedema, assorted mysteries) and Michael, 32, (intractable seizures; Gtube), who were born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease and courageous spirits. Our Angel Michael received his wings in 2003 and now resides in Heaven. Our Angel Jon lives at home with me and Jim, the world's most wonderful dad.

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